Acts and Smiles
by Alice39
Summary: And you realized that all your assumptions were true, and that Marui really is closer to Niou than most people would think. / MaruiOC


**A/N:** Bless my poor, fangirl heart. I love Marui, but he seems… complex. I mean, to be honest, I think that I'll understand Niou far more than I'll ever understand Marui. But that won't stop me from loving him anyway.

I love Marui. And sometimes, I think that most of the interpretations around him are pretty superficial. Yes, he loves to put the blame on Jackal, yes, he loves sweets. But, dears, there is much, much more to him than that.

So, yeah. Second person POV, I don't know if I killed the fic or killed myself. I do hope that your eyes weren't bleeding when you read this because, that would be really bad.

You've met Niou, as Marui's girlfriend, you were bound to know him soon enough. They were, after all, the best of friends.

And even though you were cordial with the silver haired boy, there was something about him that confuses you.

Niou was observant, more observant than most people, and he was charming when his heart was into it – but for some reason, he just, just prefers to play around than to be sincere.

And aside from that, Niou strikes you as an elitist.

He talks only to the people that he _wants_ to talk to, and somehow, you're relieved that being Marui's girlfriend gave you the little privilege of being recognized by him in some way or another.

But you can't help but feel that something is off with Niou – that somehow he's empty, even though he has an overwhelming presence. Or maybe he only pretends to be empty, because with Niou, one can never truly know.

He is something that you can't describe, and it scares you because he is complex like a puzzle that you won't ever be able to solve.

He is always acting, always pretending – that it's hard to grasp who he truly is, because he always seemed like the kind of person who won't show his true nature to anyone and everyone.

Well, you aren't _his_ girlfriend, so maybe, that's alright. Someone else would have the hard time of unraveling his true form – if he does have one – and you already know that it wasn't you.

Because you're devoted to Marui.

But this thing about Niou – it scares you even more now than ever.

Because the more you learn about Niou, his quirks, his actions – the more you learn about Marui.

And you suddenly realize, that out of everyone else you knew, there is nothing closer to Marui's personality than Niou's.

You realized it first when you sat beside him, eating your lunch when different people approach the two of you. You've already grown accustomed to it, considering the fact that Marui is a pretty popular figure in your university.

But it wasn't the people around you that quirked your interest – it was Marui himself. Marui, and the smile that he was giving the people that surrounded you.

There was no problem with Marui's smile, well, not physically. It was bright and beaming, and the kind that places everyone in some kind of charm. But as close enough as you are to him, you begin to realize that his smile is empty, and that other people don't seem to notice it.

Or maybe they simply don't bother to point it out, because at least, they were getting a reaction out of him.

And then, you continued to watch him.

You watched as he got friendly with everyone, watch as he answers them with his energetic answers and light chuckles.

And that's when you realized – when everything finally clicked to you, the time when you finally understood what his smile really meant.

Marui _was_ friendly, but to most people, he was never really a friend.

You blinked your eyes at the realization, and everything suddenly becomes clear.

He was nice to everyone. Everyone.

But it's only because he prefers being friendly, and the truth was he had no intentions of being friends with these people.

And then he smiles again, and that smile feels emptier than ever before and your heart feels a bit more painful than it already has been.

Finally, the people around you disperses and you watch as each of them waved at Marui, thinking that he was their friend.

Well, maybe he was _their_ friend, but it was never the same the other way around.

You took a bite of your lunch when you suddenly felt his head on your shoulder and his voice was just above a whisper when he uttered.

"That was tiring."

And you realized that all your assumptions were true, and that Marui really is closer to Niou than most people would think.

Because even though he might not notice it – or does he? – he actually puts on an act for other people.

But you don't care, because, at the very least, his smile for you would be sincere.

You slowly placed your hand above his and just as you intertwine both of your hands, you whispered back in a voice softer than his, "That was a good act."

And slowly, slowly, he lifts his head and meets your eyes.

Your heart stops because you thought that you have said the wrong statement – that maybe you were getting ahead of yourself.

But instead of getting angry at you, his lips contort into a small smile – a _real_ smile – and he nodded his head just before he placed his head on your shoulders once again.

He didn't confirm your statement, but he didn't bother to deny it.

And as you wait for the bell to ring and announce the end of lunch, you realize that Marui is a person who is an even greater puzzle than Niou.

Because at least with Niou, you already _knew_ that he was a puzzle.

Marui looked like an open book, but he was a complex structure deep inside. He was a mystery, a great, great mystery. He paraded with smiles, and answers with kindness – but it's all an act, act, act.

But that's alright, because you're Marui's girlfriend.

And even though it pains you when you see him give empty smiles to the people that approach him, it's alright.

Because at least, when he smiles at you, it's real.

Or at least, you hope that it is.

 **A/N:** It's been too long since I've written fanfiction, much more so for this fandom. So I hope that this was pretty satisfactory.


End file.
